Interlocking container



April 17, 19 5. w. o. FISLER INTERLOCKING CONTAINER Filed May 51, 1945 2 She ets-Sheet 2 FIGS;

' INVENTOR. W. O.Fl$LER BY CULWAY LQM ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 17, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT orbit: E

INTERLOCKING GONTAINER. William 0. Fisler, St. Louis, Mo; Application May 31, 1943, Serial No. 489,230

1 Claim. (craze-s4) This invention relates to interlocking containers, and more particularly to to container made of foldable sheet material having a cooperative arrangement of interlocking members which eliminates the necessity of using adhesive material, or mechanical fasteners, in uniting the several elements of the container.

An object of theinvention is to produce an extremely simple and inexpensive container of this kind having a neat and attractive appearance, as well as strong and durable interlocking connections not likely to be disturbed under the usual service conditions.

More specifically stated, the container has a hinged closure, and further objects are to provide a very simple means for detachably securing the closure in its closed position, as well as conditions which enable the user to very readily open and close the container.

At first glance, the new article may resemble an ordinary envelope. However, it is preferably made of relatively heavy sheet material, and further study of the specific details will show that its merits depend upon cooperative conditions not.

' found in the usual envelope construction. For

example, when made of relatively heavy paper, the interlocking details result in a strong container for prolonged use in handling a family group of war ration books, while allowing the closure to be very readily secured and released in closing and opening the container.

An immediate object of the invention is to meet the present demand for substantial advantages in a container, for war ration books, including the advantage of very low manufacturing cost,

the container, and it can be sold as a flat sheet or in the folded condition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

the invention comprises the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of cooperative details hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings to illustrate suitable embodiments of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the patent extends to variations and modifications within the scope of terms employed in the claim hereunto appended.

iii)

Fig. 1 is a detail view of a fiat blank sheet foldable to produce a container embodying features of this invention, the folded positions of side flaps being shown by dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2-is an edge view of the sheet shown in Fig.1

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the container with the top flap in itsopen position, portions of the lower flap being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the vertical center line of Fig. 3.

' Fig. 5 is a rear View showing the closure flap in its closed position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the lineli-efi in F g. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustratinganother form of the invention.

Fig. 8 shows the side flaps of Fig. 7 in their folded positions.

Fig. 9 is an edge view of Fig. 8. I

Fig. 10 is a rear View of this form of container in its closed condition. I

Fig. 1 illustrates a single sheet of paper, or other foldable material, comprising. a rectangular front the structure shown in wall member II, and rear wall members including a side edge extending downwardly from said shoulder.

The side flaps I2 are foldable on the score lines I5 to locate their projecting shoulders I9 adjacent to each other near the vertical center of'the front wall member II, as suggested by dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. In this specific form of the invention, the shoulders I9 are horizontal while the side edges 20 are vertical, and each side flap I2 has a horizontal bottom edge 2| approximately flush with the bottom of the front wall member II, so as to lie at the bottom of the container. When these side'flaps I2 are folded onto the front wall member II, the vertical edges 20 are in abutting relationship at the vertical center line, while the companion shoulders I9 are alined with each other at opposite sides of said center The sheet material may.

The folded side flaps I2, shown by broken lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig. 3, have upper edges 22 diverging from their shoulders I9 to form an open recess immediately above said shoulders.

Attention is now directed to a locking tongue 23 extending from a score line 24 on the bottom flap I3. This tongue 23 is foldable toward the body portion of the flap I3 t form a hook, as suggested by dotted lines in Fig, 2. After the side flaps I2 have been folded to locate their extended margins I8 adjacent to each other, the bottom flap I3 is folded onto said margins N3, the locking tongue 23 being inserted through the open recess above the shoulders I9 and forced downwardly between the front wall I I and the side flaps I2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the flap I3 then lies outside of the flaps I2, while the locking tongue 23 is located inside of said flaps I2.

More specifically stated, the fold, or hinge, 24 of said tongue 23 lies adjacent to but above the projecting shoulders I9 at the meeting margins of the side flaps I2, and these meeting margins are confined between the tongue 23.and the body portion of the flap I3. The upper portion of the flap I3 is thu securely interlocked with meeting margins of the side flaps. The fold 24 provides an abutment to prevent or limit upward displacement of the shoulders I9 on the side flaps I2, while the elongated bottom edges 2I of the side flaps cooperate with the fold at H to prevent or limit downward displacement of these side flaps. Attention i directed to the strength or reinforcing value of these cooperative conditions, wherein the simple tongue 23 may be employed as the sole means for uniting the side and bottom flaps. Furthermore, if the edges 20 are in abutting relationship at the vertical center, while the bottom edges 2i of the side flaps are in abutting relationship with the-bottom fold II, the rear wall of the container will have a reasonably smooth inner face formed by the side flaps I2.

The top flap I4 is hinged at I6 and it has an extended attaching tongue 25 foldable at a score line 26 to produce a free tab 21 extending from the fold. This fold at 26 is movable into and out of the lower portion of the recess above the shoulders I9 (Figures 1 and 3), and slidable between the tongue 23 and the front wall member II, as shown in Fig. 6, to detachably secure the top 010- sure flap in its closed position. The free tab 21 provides a handle for moving this closure flap to and from its closed position. Figures 5 and Ii show conditions which exist when the folded tongue 25 is positioned to frictionally secure the flap I4. The free tab 2'! is then exposed, and it can be very readily grasped to release and open the closure. i V y In Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the top closure flap I4'is wider than the large recess above the shoulders l9 of the side flaps, but the extended attaching tongue 2'5 is narrower than the lowerportion of said recess, so as to provide for free insertion oi the tongue through the bottom of the recess, and thence to the attaching position shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Figures '7 to 10 illustrate a special form of the invention suitable for gasoline ration books.

This refer to a relatively narrow, or elongated container, having many details corresponding to the previous description, so the same reference numerals will be found at these corresponding details. Fig. 7 illustrates the fiat blank sheet, and its lower portion has details conforming substantially to the middle and lower portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 shows the side flaps l2 folded onto the front wall member. Fig. 9 shows how the bottom tongue 23 may be folded on the score line 24 to form a hook. Fig. 10 illustrates a condition appearing when the bottom flap I3 is folded on the line I! and interlocked with the side flaps, the

looking tongue 23 being located inside of the container a shown by dotted lines in Fig. 10.

However, in Fig. 1, the score line I6 forming the top of the front wall member II, is only slightly above the upper extremities of the side flaps I2, while in Figures 7 to 10 this score line It is widely separated from the side flaps, and the tongue 25' extending above said score line I6 is wider than the recess above the shoulders I9 of the side flaps I2. This relatively wide tongue 25 can be folded on the score line I6, as suggested by dotted lines in Fig, 9, and its lower portion can then be inserted into the container, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 10. The locking tongue 25' will then be frictionally secured between the tongue 23 and the front wall of the container.

I claim:

A container made of foldable sheet material comprising a front wall member, rear wall members including side flaps extending from opposite sides of, said front wall member, a bottom fiap extending from the bottom of said front wall member, and a top closure flap extending from the-top of said front wall member, the lower portion of each side flap being provided with an extended side marginal portion having an approximately horizontal projecting shoulder at the top and an approximately vertical terminal side edge extending downwardly from said shoulder to the bottom extremity of the side flap, said side flaps being foldable to locate the approximately vertical side edges in abutting relationship to each other near the vertical center of said front wall member, the projecting shoulders being approximately alined with each other at opposite sides of said vertical center, the bottom edges of said side flaps being approximately horizontal and approximately flush with the bottom of said I front wall member so as to lie within the bottom edge of. the container, the folded side flaps having upper edges diverging fromsaid approximately 2. horizontal projecting shoulders to form an open tions of said side flaps being confined between said tongue and the body of said bottom flap, so as to interlock the upper portions of the folded bottom flap with said extended marginal portions of the side flaps.

WILLIAM O. FISLER. 

